Traveling the Medicine Wheel

Shortly after moving to the Mesa I decided that I needed to build a medicine wheel. I had never built one before and had only read about it years before in Sun Bear's books. I don't know why I "had" to build one but I just felt driven to do so. In a way I suppose I felt it would honor the ancient people of this valley who believed this Mesa to be sacred land and who had left their petroglyphs throughout the area. So I started researching and came across Sun Bear's medicine wheel that was given to him in a vision. I used it as a model in creating my own. I bought a compass and for many weeks before constructing it I collected rocks. Now I know you are saying you have lots of rocks at your fingertips but each stone symbolizes a "gift" and therefore had to be hand chosen for each position. You would have laughed to see me driving down the road and coming to an abrupt stop because I spotted just the rock for one of the positions. I swear they called to me! Anyway, eventually the day came and I carefully marked the four directions and using a piece of string tied to a branch I carved out my wheel. The first stone is the Creator stone which is placed in the center. Around the creator are 7 stones symbolizing Father Sun, Mother Earth, Grandmother Moon, Thunderbird, Turtle, Butterfly and Frog. Then the four Spirit Keeper stones were placed at the Cardinal directions of East, South, West and North.

Three more stones are laid from each Spirit Keeper to the center stone. These stones symbolize the path that each direction teaches us. The stones of the Eastern path symbolize clarity, wisdom and illumination. The Southern path growth, trust and love. The Western path experience, introspection, and strength. The Northern path cleansing, renewal, and purity.

The stones representing the moons and the totem animals of each are then placed as the outer circle connecting the cardinals directions. It took me approximately 4 hours to complete the wheel. I worked steadily and quietly loosing all track of the time. When it was completed I placed a ceramic blue planter in the center in which I change out the plants for each season. Within the plants is nestled a figure of Gaia holding the Earth in her arms. I blessed the Wheel and meditated within the space and I truly believe that the "energy" around and within the wheel has changed for the better. Now the yard is alive with a multitude of birds, chipmunks, lizards and rabbits... and yes the occasional snake.

I frequently walk the Wheel round and round. Noting where I stop, asking for guidance along the way from the stones. It helps me to ground and center myself and it has helped me to connect to this land and honor the beauty and wisdom here. One of my lessons here was to "listen" to my Self, that inner voice and I did and in doing so I have grown from the experience.

Bright Blessings

Hummingbirds

My family has always found comfort and joy in nature and we were raised to be aware of the natural world around us. We derive a lot of joy watching birds and animals daily and from our first day here on the Mesa we have especially enjoyed the hummingbirds. On that first day, moving-in day, we discovered a hummingbird nest with two tiny babies in the tree by the front walkway. The nest was attached to the very end of a branch and the wind would send it swaying violently but the two little ones hung on and grew until one day we witnessed them take their first flights.

Lone hummer resting on a Joshua Tree at Dusk

In "Animal-Speak" by Ted Andrews, a wonderful source for the symbolism of animals, birds, reptiles and insects, he states that hummingbirds will lay 2 eggs. The number two being representative of the feminine inner Self of which we must honor and express in order to find our own bliss. For me the nest held a special message.

We now have about nine regular hummingbirds that visit the three feeders we have around the yard. They are very curious and will come right up to you and look you over. When their feeders are empty they go to the kitchen window and look in at you as if to say "hello, the feeder is empty you need to refill, we are hungry." They play and have mock battles with each other, vie for position, hover and wait in line at the feeders, and sometimes they buzz right by your head when you are sitting in the back yard. They are as fun and vibrant as their colors. They remind me that no matter how fast I'm going and how much I am doing that I need to stop, step back and be joyful and thankful for this very moment. Quick...name three things that brought a smile to your lips today or made you wonder. If you can't, go outside and look around! We'd love to hear about the wonderful things you see too.

You never know...

We wanted to explain our absence over the past month. It has been a roller coaster ride.
My father had a stroke in April which led shortly thereafter to having to have a pacemaker put in. He went to a rehabilitation center for therapy and was supposed to come home about 3 weeks ago now. A day or so before he was to be released he fell and broke his hip. Once again he was flown to Reno, NV for surgery this time a partial hip replacement. He was transported back to the rehab. center. On the 6th they discovered pneumonia. This past Sunday he was taken by ambulance to the hospital again and the pneumonia had spread to both lungs and he was having difficulty breathing and he now has a kidney infection as well. He is gravely ill. He was in ICU for two days and though he now has been moved into a regular ward they just don't know if he will recover. He is a tough old Yankee so perhaps he will pull out of it but no one knows. We go and talk to him but so far he just sleeps and doesn't respond. His body is dealing with fighting the infection. He just turned 88 the beginning of June. He has never really been sick in his life...it all started about 2 years ago with his first stroke but he recovered very well from that one.
So here we are again and what the future holds we do not know but thanks to all our friends and family for your support. We are thankful for all of you.
We came home from the hospital this afternoon to Momma and Papa quail sitting on the bench
on the front walkway surrounded with brand new chicks, little puffballs running around and Life goes on.